Smark Out Moment

Welcome to another edition of WOMEN'S WRESTLING WEEKLY—a rundown of the events which have transpired in the world of women's professional wrestling over the past several days not just with the Superstars on WWE programming, but with Impact Wrestling's Knockouts, ROH's Women of Honor, and even a glimpse at the women on the independent circuit.



Natalya vs Lacey Evans

This last woman standing match was not an interesting encounter on paper, however once the contest started, it became an enthralling and engrossing battle that was highly entertaining.

Natalya and Lacey Evans went to war, destroying each other in a manner more commonly found in last man standing matches. Natalya, in particular. fought with a visceral fire that has been sorely missing in her work. The finish of the match had Natalya Powerbomb Evans off the stage onto a table for the 10 count.

The last woman standing stipulation was used well here, with both women starring in a great match to open Raw. This was Natalya’s best match in years, and undoubtedly Evans’ best match to date.

Winner: Natalya
Rating: 3/5


The Kabuki Warriors vs Becky Lynch & Charlotte

The Kabuki Warriors carried their momentum from Hell in a Cell into this match, more than matching the combined star power of Charlotte and Becky Lynch.

All 4 wrestlers won at Hell in a Cell, however one of the more interesting talking points was the apparent heel turn from The Kabuki Warriors. This narrative continued on Raw, with Asuka once again resorting to the dastardly tactic of using green mist, this time on Lynch. This allowed Kairi Sane to counter the Disarm Her into a cradle for the pinfall victory.

As a match, this was interesting. But as a storyline, the narrative of Asuka once again heeling it up was more memorable than the contest itself. For a match on Raw this was perfectly serviceable, but all 4 wrestlers are easily capable of better.

Winner: The Kabuki Warriors
Rating: 3/5



Charlotte vs Bayley

In a rematch from Hell in a Cell, Bayley and Charlotte put on a fabulous contest that captivated the imagination of fans. Bayley entered the match with a new look, before proceeding to destroy her inflatables and essentially declare her positive character is dead. This is something that was many weeks overdue, however it was no less effective when it actually happened.

The quality of the wrestling was great, with Bayley more than matching the unparalleled ability of Charlotte. Charlotte kicked out of a Bayley to Belly, whilst Bayley was able to avoid being pinned following Charlotte’s patented Moonsault. The match came to an unexpected but exciting end when Charlotte’s Natural Selection attempt was countered into a cradle for the pinfall victory.

Bayley regaining the SmackDown Women's Championship was a great moment for herself and fans, but in order to cement her new heel persona, Bayley told the fans in attendance that they could screw themselves. Bayley is finally embracing her dark side, and the next couple of weeks will be vital to ensuring this new character is a success. A fantastic contest, which was followed by a great post match interaction, makes this the best WWE women’s match of the week.

Winner: Bayley
Rating: 4/5



Piper Niven vs Jazzy Gabert

Piper Niven has been featured extensively on NXT UK, however the standard of her matches have been hit or miss. As Niven is a supremely talented wrestler, this inconsistency lies at the feet of her opponents, and unfortunately for Niven, Jazzy Gabert was unable to contribute to a great match this week.

Niven dominated the majority of this contest, with Gabert unable to pose a realistic threat. The finish to the match was rather flat, with Rhea Ripley taking out Gabert with a kick, only for Niven to follow this up with a Senton for the pinfall.

With Ripley’s involvement in NXT, it is unclear if the slow burning storyline with Niven will be expanded on in NXT UK. Regardless, this match was ok, but failed to really capture the imagination. Niven deserves better, and deserves a shot at the NXT UK Women’s Championship.

Winner: Piper Niven
Rating: 2/5



Rhea Ripley vs Aliyah

Another Rhea Ripley NXT match. Another squash. Another example of just how bad ass she is. Ripley squared off against Aliyah in a match that screamed pure and unadulterated dominance from Ripley, which is exactly what we got.

Ripley started strongly by taking Aliyah out, hitting her with a Clothesline before locking in the Cloverleaf for a swift submission victory.

This match was evidence of just how much faith there is for Ripley within NXT. She is a clear star, and matches like this only serve to underline how dominant she is. I cannot wait for the match between Ripley and Shayna Baszler that was teased many weeks ago, as this promises to be a match of the year candidate.

Winner: Rhea Ripley
Rating: 2/5


Dakota Kai vs Bianca Belair

This match was a battle between 2 wrestlers who seemingly keep coming up short in their pursuit of the NXT Women’s Championship. Dakota Kai was favoured going into this match, however Bianca Belair is always an unknown quantity, as she is either a great performer or struggles to impose herself on a match.

Belair and Kai were able to put their own stamp on this match, with both wrestlers having periods of dominance. The finish of the match had Belair counter a kick from Kai into the KOD for the pinfall.

The victory for Belair sets her up well for the next couple of weeks, provided she can win more matches. A sustained period of winning matches will allow her to be taken seriously as a contender again. This match was built well, with both wrestlers looking good in the process.

Winner: Bianca Belair
Rating: 3/5



Rhio & Britt Baker vs Bea Priestley & Emi Sakura

The feud between Britt Baker and Bea Priestley has been built effectively so far in AEW, with this match serving as an appropriate teaser for their next one on one bout. Rhio partnered Baker a week after becoming the inaugural AEW Women’s Champion, whilst Emi Sakura teamed up with Priestley.

This was an intense match that highlighted the star power of the AEW women’s division, whilst also increasing the interest in Baker vs Priestley. After a chaotic but quality contest, Baker hit a Neckbreaker on Sakura before transitioning into a Mandible Claw for the submission victory.

Baker continues to impress for AEW, whilst the other wrestlers in this match also impressed. AEW Dynamite will continue to be a success if strong women’s matches like this are on offer. This was a quality contest that was well received by fans.

Winner: Riho & Britt Baker
Rating: 3.5/5



Taya Valkyrie vs Havok

This match was an absolute failure and an embarrassment to the Knockouts division. Taya Valkyrie was defending her Knockouts Championship against Havok, however Jon E Bravo conspired to ruin the match by getting Valkyrie disqualified by pulling the referee out of the ring.

Despite being a title match, there wasn’t much expected from this contest. A nice touch however was Tenille Dashwood coming out to join commentary. Dashwood is definitely the correct wrestler to take the championship from Valkyrie, and hopefully that happens soon.

Winner: Havok
Rating: 1/5



Angelina Love vs Kelly Klein

Angelina Love hasn’t exactly been a revelation since she came to Ring of Honor, and this extends to her reign as Women of Honor Champion. Kelly Klein lost the championship to Love at Death Before Dishonor XVII, but neither the victory or the following 2 weeks felt important to the Women of Honor division.

This match was simply the worst match of the week, being a lifeless and limp contest that descended into a farce following a referee bump. Mandy Leon and Maria Manic both got involved, with Klein hitting K-Power on Love for the pinfall victory to regain the Women of Honor Championship.

Quite frankly, the Women of Honor division is poor at the moment, with no real quality of note. Ring of Honor has often failed to make the division feel important, and right now it feels as if the division is at it’s lowest ebb. This match was a complete dud, with no one coming out of it with any credibility.

Winner: Kelly Klein
Rating: 0.25/5



This match felt important, especially as it was the main event of SmackDown. Charlotte and Bayley finally had the great match that they have been unable to produce over the past few months, with the title change actually feeling important for once. This was a quite simply a fantastic match.


Bayley finally embraced her new heel persona by shedding all of the things that defined her as a face. She performed well in her match with Charlotte, becoming the new SmackDown Women's Champion in the process. I predict big things for Bayley going forward.

So there you have it, the breakdown for the week in women's wrestling. What were some of your favorite and least favorite moments from these women? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!